Rules and Roses

Aarohi had two speeds in life-full throttle and asleep.

At twenty, she was a whirl of laughter, flying dupattas, and half-finished hobbies. Her mother said she was born talking, and that hadn't changed much in two decades. Whether it was dancing in the rain, playing with kids in the neighborhood, or sneaking extra mango pickles from the kitchen, Aarohi lived every moment like it was a festival.

And then there was Anurag.

Thirty years old. Quiet. Sharp-jawed. The kind of man who ironed his clothes with military precision and refused to jaywalk even on empty streets. He lived by lists, calendars, and things that made sense.

He also happened to be Aarohi's childhood "Anu bhaiyya."

Well... he had been bhaiyya. Until recently. Until that annoying, adorable little tornado started growing up, stopped calling him bhaiyya, and started fluttering her eyelashes every time he scolded her.

Their families had been friends for generations. Diwalis were spent together, birthdays celebrated with joint cakes, and every summer, Aarohi's family visited Anurag's hill home like clockwork.

This summer was no different. But something else was.

This summer, Aarohi had decided she was going to make Anurag fall in love with her. Even if he still treated her like she was a child who needed a lecture every time she left the fridge open.

"Anurag," she called sweetly from the porch, swinging her legs. "You know, you really should try smiling more. I hear it burns calories."

He looked up from his laptop, one eyebrow raised.

"And I hear silence is golden," he said dryly, sipping his black coffee.

She grinned. "You need more colors in your life."

"I have a spreadsheet full of them."

Aarohi laughed and jumped up, her anklets chiming like little bells. She didn't know how or when it would happen, but she believed in impossible things.

Like sunshine melting mountains.
Like mango pickles softening rules.
Like Anurag falling in love with her.